Just keeping you guys in the loop with my latest video. It is my digital dream camera come true!
In 2008 I found a great deal on the Contax 645, 80mm f/2 Zeiss Planar, prism, 120 back, the whole outfit. I was a new father with a baby girl of only a few months old and as a Contax super fan, I’ve always wanted a Contax 645. I wanted the best camera to document my daughter’s life. To me, the Contax 645 is among the tops!
The Contax 645 was introduced in 1999 by Kyocera. It is a medium format camera that shoots 6×4.5 120 film. But it can also shoot digital with an appropriate digital back.
It is a highly desirable camera, even today, for its autofocus and ability to take film or digital backs. Something only a few medium format cameras can do.
My dream was to shoot the Contax 645 digitally. The only way to do that is with a digital back.
Now back in the early 2000s medium format digital backs were extremely expensive and they always seem tailor made for the ultra rich and super professional photographers.
Today, their prices have come down but they’re still relatively expensive and are still rather esoteric.
In 2022, quite by random, I came across a Kodak DCS Pro Back for the Contax 645 for only $149! It was listed as a “Parts/Repair” unit. Untested. No battery, no cables, no nothing but the back. But the back is the most important thing and knowing how rare this was, especially as this price, I bought it right away!
Now, I didn’t know if this back would work or not but I had to figure it out for myself and I document this incredible journey on this video.
I was thinking of taking a break from YouTube. The AdSense problem I mentioned a few months ago has worked out and I’m making money but not really enough to make it worth the effort.
I’ll probably be back but I wanted to dedicate this video to my OG Camera Legend watchers and gave them one of my very best. I hope you guys enjoy this video. Thanks in advance for watching and have an awesome day you guys! 😍📸👍
PS: I’m shooting almost all my videos now on this amazing little device, the DJI Pocket 3!
This awesome little “vlogging” camera can do it all! I was skeptical at first, but now I’m convinced this will be my main YouTube camera for a good while!
Camera Legend 